27th September, Monday. The Wilson 1200 blades are becoming very efficient in my hands during games at the minute. This season has had five different sets of irons pass through my bag up until now. Up until the end of March 2010 the Shark XLT Cavity backs had the prime position then I began to expand my search for a suitable upgrade towards a set that did not have as much influence, as the game assistive oversize irons do on shots. It was not a result of change for changes sake on my part even 20 years ago when playing I had been in the first stages of making the transition to a more responsive iron.
Today thanks to the internet and Ebay it is very easy and inexpensive to explore club selection without interference. Not that I would discount going to a professional/club fitting expert to do the same, in this case the distance of country living and lack of choice made the internet an excellent tool. The cost of my club search has been $380 (Less in fact as some have been sold on after being no longer needed.) for two sets of new irons and three sets of used irons. I will continue using all of the remaining iron sets in practise, this is something that I am used to doing now and enjoy The Wilson 1200 will be first choice and in the bag for competition though. My ball striking and accuracy are the obvious improvements from these, the ‘feel’ of these irons is delightful almost like an extension of my hands and arms. Around the greens in pitch and run and chipping the responsiveness and touch of these irons especially has been a major improvement in my game.
Over the past month an error with my long irons has been affecting my game, the result of this was what looked like a pull/draw of 15-25 metres. last week finally I had got on the practise fairway and concentrated on the fault. Nothing major in fact needed to be adjusted, a combination of two faults was the cause. First off was alignment to the target being incorrect a simple drill exposed that and once aware of it correction was easy. A pull is when the golf ball starts off going left of the target line and continues to go left of the target. There is no hook to it; it travels in a straight line (more or less) and ends up left of where the player thought it was going to land. By putting a club behind the ball and lined up to the target and another paralell to it where my feet went I set myself up and looked over my shoulder and it was all wrong. In my eyes it looked like the ball would be hit to the right of the target. Part of my problem was perspective in my eyesight, the second fault was a tendency to close the face of the irons at address. The result of these errors were not catastrophic, more frustration in getting so close yet so far from the target. The important thing is I have made an effort to remove the fault not adjust to it and further hamper my games improvement.
The round on Sunday was enjoyable and a 3rd place finish also included winning nearest the pin. The success on all the par three holes was a result of correcting the aforementioned problem. Unfortunately the driver was another matter and it cost me a few strokes with wayward shots. Again nothing drastic to worry about and in fact I managed to get the correct rythym and swing into my game on the back nine. The killer of my winning the competition (only two points shy of 1st) was 4 x three putts. Not totally my fault the greens had not been cut for 7 days since coring on Monday. Long grass on the greens, bouncing putts and very slow roll was too much effort to adjust for the one round. Call me lazy if you like, putting is not a strength of my game and has been slowly improving through practise. The risk of throwing away that hard earned touch with the putter, all to play on unusual greens for one round was not worth my while. In 2 weeks it is the Club Championship semi-final matchplay round and at this stage I am the favourite for “B” grade. My game is against a 15 handicapper and it has taken hard work and a lot of effort to earn the respect of my opponents as a valid chance. At the minute my 19 handicap is my best ever rank. The other three ‘live’ “B” grade players have all been below that and it is not going to be any reliance on luck that will get me into the final.
This week the course rating is being done under the new system, which will be interesting and to be honest is a little added excitement personally. I believe that my golf is reasonable and that some of the current holes on the course are open to question as to their difficulty and the over all course rating. My opinion has been influenced especially with having travelled and played on so many other courses this season. My home course is difficult to play and it was a surprise to discover how much better I play away on new courses even for the first time. I do go on about my lack of accuracy yet away from my home course I am surprised how this is not a problem in my game. The pressure is not on every hole at home, yet on at least ten holes, if you hit off the fairway the ball is lost, unplayable (if found) or out of bounds. This has had some influence on my fixation with improved accuracy and the associated search for irons. Hindsight is always 20/20 and in this example I am experiencing the benefits of having taken the path towards using blades. At the same instant the other irons used in the progression also benefited my game to various levels that showed me other changes to consider.
If the previous reads a little complicated it is understandable but I made no hurried decisions and it was improved playing technique that was the main factor in my golfing quest. The irons are just tools that do nothing until picked up and swung. A set of sticks are not the be all and end all of playing better golf your own ability is the crucial tool that must be developed.
Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
GOLF - New irons Again
21st September 2010 Did not pick up a stick from last Wednesday until Saturday before Sunday’s Par competition, using a little bit of common sense having a respite from continuous practise and keeping the game in perspective. Winning the club “B” grade championship is an important goal, enjoying playing golf and not getting jaded is just as important. I had a few days away in Adelaide for a break, also the latest addition to my growing selection of iron’s had not arrived. With a couple of weeks break before championship matchplay rounds I am looking forward to the effect from the latest irons.
Not a new set but having since played a couple of rounds with them and finishing all square in 4th place Sunday the Wilson 1200 (under wave) blades felt good and certainly assisted some aspects of my game. Around the green with chipping and pitching concentrated on in practise this has been saving 2-4 strokes a round for me. Using the Wilson blades on Sunday the 7-PW irons were so effective in delivering accurate shots to the hole and felt so responsive in the hands. The 3-6 irons had the same ‘touch’ it is the best experience to hold a club and have it feel so comfortable in setting up and playing strokes.
I did manage to shape a few long iron shots and that added to my enjoyment of the round. This time I played to the new 19 handicap and have kept it a week later unlike the lst time this figure was reached. The fact is these Wilson’s are 15 years old and cost me $30 delivered after purchase on Ebay. They have the counter torque’ twisted’ shafts which look out of place at first glance. I now have 4 sets of irons two are peripheral weighted and two blades. This is an ongoing process towards finally choosing the correct new set for my golfing ability. The grand total for the two sets of blades is $90 and that is a cheap price to help decide upon the final choice to come.
Yesterday was a club working bee to core and sand the greens which had me working with the former 4 handicapper that offered some coaching a few weeks ago. We have arranged to catch up and he can let me know what is causing my current slight problem. Nothing major but serious enough to get fixed if I want to drop another 3-4 strokes. Fortunately this bloke is known as a particularly good iron player and if he was not going blind would still be on a single figure handicap and not 13 as he is at the minute. During a couple of rounds he had noticed the problem but had not offered any tips or advice to correct them at the time. Which is appreciated by myself and the rule book is also adhered too. Simply my swing is fine, grip is fine and my lining up to the target is not. I was aware of this and it is so much easier to actually have a half hour coaching session to correct it and establish the correct set up with a golfing pro or some one who has the same high level of ability to play and coach.
With the final draw for the championships now decided I do not play my semi final until the 10th of October. It is against a 15 handicapper and at my best I can play to 17. This may be good enough but with such a large gap of time available I can have a serious crack at improving two more strokes and have a better chance in the game. My current game is one of consistent bogey golf with pars and birdies thrown in to keep the scores at 87 to 94 off the stick. With the occaisional bad hole due to a wayward drive or second shot I cannot rely upon the “C” grade style where a round of bogeys will win a championship. Pars and birdies are a must to get a win in “B” grade and I am capable of that but the inconsistent lining up is costing me far too many added shots from missing greens 10-20m to the left. My putting has improved but is nowhere near good enough to get consistent “up and downs” in two with a pitch and putt from missed greens. I am certain that those of you reading that play off 16 or less would feel confident in a game of match play off the stick against me. Thankyou for your time and attention. Hit ‘em straight all.
, Geoff
Not a new set but having since played a couple of rounds with them and finishing all square in 4th place Sunday the Wilson 1200 (under wave) blades felt good and certainly assisted some aspects of my game. Around the green with chipping and pitching concentrated on in practise this has been saving 2-4 strokes a round for me. Using the Wilson blades on Sunday the 7-PW irons were so effective in delivering accurate shots to the hole and felt so responsive in the hands. The 3-6 irons had the same ‘touch’ it is the best experience to hold a club and have it feel so comfortable in setting up and playing strokes.
I did manage to shape a few long iron shots and that added to my enjoyment of the round. This time I played to the new 19 handicap and have kept it a week later unlike the lst time this figure was reached. The fact is these Wilson’s are 15 years old and cost me $30 delivered after purchase on Ebay. They have the counter torque’ twisted’ shafts which look out of place at first glance. I now have 4 sets of irons two are peripheral weighted and two blades. This is an ongoing process towards finally choosing the correct new set for my golfing ability. The grand total for the two sets of blades is $90 and that is a cheap price to help decide upon the final choice to come.
Yesterday was a club working bee to core and sand the greens which had me working with the former 4 handicapper that offered some coaching a few weeks ago. We have arranged to catch up and he can let me know what is causing my current slight problem. Nothing major but serious enough to get fixed if I want to drop another 3-4 strokes. Fortunately this bloke is known as a particularly good iron player and if he was not going blind would still be on a single figure handicap and not 13 as he is at the minute. During a couple of rounds he had noticed the problem but had not offered any tips or advice to correct them at the time. Which is appreciated by myself and the rule book is also adhered too. Simply my swing is fine, grip is fine and my lining up to the target is not. I was aware of this and it is so much easier to actually have a half hour coaching session to correct it and establish the correct set up with a golfing pro or some one who has the same high level of ability to play and coach.
With the final draw for the championships now decided I do not play my semi final until the 10th of October. It is against a 15 handicapper and at my best I can play to 17. This may be good enough but with such a large gap of time available I can have a serious crack at improving two more strokes and have a better chance in the game. My current game is one of consistent bogey golf with pars and birdies thrown in to keep the scores at 87 to 94 off the stick. With the occaisional bad hole due to a wayward drive or second shot I cannot rely upon the “C” grade style where a round of bogeys will win a championship. Pars and birdies are a must to get a win in “B” grade and I am capable of that but the inconsistent lining up is costing me far too many added shots from missing greens 10-20m to the left. My putting has improved but is nowhere near good enough to get consistent “up and downs” in two with a pitch and putt from missed greens. I am certain that those of you reading that play off 16 or less would feel confident in a game of match play off the stick against me. Thankyou for your time and attention. Hit ‘em straight all.
, Geoff
GOLF - Final Championship Qualifying round
14th September 2010. After playing the first championship qualifying round in pouring rain and very uncomfortable conditions, the second and final qualifier was the complete opposite. Sunshine, a pleasant breeze and the course relatively dry, the only real hindrance was patches of long grass on the fairways which could not be cut regularly in the past two weeks. This was frustrating for both finding balls and playing shots but definitely it could have been a lot worse.
The practise of the past weeks did deliver for me on the day finally managed to get the drives off the tee back to an acceptable level of accuracy. The problem of late was a combination of physical restriction in my swing due to injury and a massage on the Monday prior to playing relieved that. Which soon had me able to swing freely on the tee and get rid of the outside in swing plane that causes the slice out to the right. This combined with the short game practise in pitching and putting practise got my score below 90.
I did make mistakes and my gross score of 89 included three penalty strokes, two of those came from wayward second shots that rolled under trees, requiring a penalty drop to be able to play a decent next shot. The other a tee shot that went out of bounds, not by much but out is out. There were other shots that could have been better that effectively had little influence on the final score. As is expected the two shots that really stick in my memory are the pitch in for birdie on the 7th hole and the 6 metre putt for birdie on the last hole. A little disconcerting is I am now unsure of how much my physical injury restriction of the past few weeks has been affecting my game. Even so it is not a major influence I believe for any more than the past 2-3 rounds and was simply a result of it being nothing like the discomfort and restriction of movement that has been experienced previously.
My injuries were the result of a motor vehicle accident 20 plus years ago and the past two years the rehabilitation of these has finally had major improvement in my physical condition. The downside is being inured to pain and discomfort is a habit of mine and I accept the discomfort too often instead of getting it treated. Last year I was laid up for 3 months as my body reacted to the action of playing golf as internal scar tissue was strained and eventually corrected into a semblance of normality. This is why part of my golf practise includes weights and excercise routines, in moderation. The gradual strengthening routines are not targeting building up physique, they target stamina and conditioning to be able to play 18 holes of golf and not have the injuries sap away playing consistency.
The final results after a quick tally courtesy of Golf Link has the B Grade Championship Qualifying Table as follows; 1) 100 5101300281 N N 86, 2) G Dening N N 89, 3) 67 5101300264 N N 92, 4) 33 5101300255 N N 98, 5) 50 5101300267 N N 102, 6) 17 5101300251 N N 109 7) .?.. 8) .?..
I have managed to come in second place which may change as the first qualifier has intimated a move up to play in A Grade. No real difference going to the first qualifying place. Depending on whether any of the “C” Grade qualifiers elect to move up to play “B” grade it is possible I will have a bye in the first round of match play. Several of the C grade qualifiers have good enough scores to move up a grade and they have only moved to the lower grade since the new handicapping system came in. It will be no surprise to me that they choose to play “B” grade and I am confident against any of them. On the other hand having the number one qualifying play move to A grade is a bonus for me I have played with him several times socially in match play practise and the honours are all square. Fact is I have never came close to 80 and at my best could possibly score an 84-85 off the stick and would need him to have a bad round to be in with a chance of beating him at the minute.
That is all conjecture for now and the actual play off table will be available today(Tuesday) or tomorrow and then and will now what the state of play will be. In the meantime a trip away for a couple of days is on the cards and a week break before the first playoff to tune up my match play technique. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff
The practise of the past weeks did deliver for me on the day finally managed to get the drives off the tee back to an acceptable level of accuracy. The problem of late was a combination of physical restriction in my swing due to injury and a massage on the Monday prior to playing relieved that. Which soon had me able to swing freely on the tee and get rid of the outside in swing plane that causes the slice out to the right. This combined with the short game practise in pitching and putting practise got my score below 90.
I did make mistakes and my gross score of 89 included three penalty strokes, two of those came from wayward second shots that rolled under trees, requiring a penalty drop to be able to play a decent next shot. The other a tee shot that went out of bounds, not by much but out is out. There were other shots that could have been better that effectively had little influence on the final score. As is expected the two shots that really stick in my memory are the pitch in for birdie on the 7th hole and the 6 metre putt for birdie on the last hole. A little disconcerting is I am now unsure of how much my physical injury restriction of the past few weeks has been affecting my game. Even so it is not a major influence I believe for any more than the past 2-3 rounds and was simply a result of it being nothing like the discomfort and restriction of movement that has been experienced previously.
My injuries were the result of a motor vehicle accident 20 plus years ago and the past two years the rehabilitation of these has finally had major improvement in my physical condition. The downside is being inured to pain and discomfort is a habit of mine and I accept the discomfort too often instead of getting it treated. Last year I was laid up for 3 months as my body reacted to the action of playing golf as internal scar tissue was strained and eventually corrected into a semblance of normality. This is why part of my golf practise includes weights and excercise routines, in moderation. The gradual strengthening routines are not targeting building up physique, they target stamina and conditioning to be able to play 18 holes of golf and not have the injuries sap away playing consistency.
The final results after a quick tally courtesy of Golf Link has the B Grade Championship Qualifying Table as follows; 1) 100 5101300281 N N 86, 2) G Dening N N 89, 3) 67 5101300264 N N 92, 4) 33 5101300255 N N 98, 5) 50 5101300267 N N 102, 6) 17 5101300251 N N 109 7) .?.. 8) .?..
I have managed to come in second place which may change as the first qualifier has intimated a move up to play in A Grade. No real difference going to the first qualifying place. Depending on whether any of the “C” Grade qualifiers elect to move up to play “B” grade it is possible I will have a bye in the first round of match play. Several of the C grade qualifiers have good enough scores to move up a grade and they have only moved to the lower grade since the new handicapping system came in. It will be no surprise to me that they choose to play “B” grade and I am confident against any of them. On the other hand having the number one qualifying play move to A grade is a bonus for me I have played with him several times socially in match play practise and the honours are all square. Fact is I have never came close to 80 and at my best could possibly score an 84-85 off the stick and would need him to have a bad round to be in with a chance of beating him at the minute.
That is all conjecture for now and the actual play off table will be available today(Tuesday) or tomorrow and then and will now what the state of play will be. In the meantime a trip away for a couple of days is on the cards and a week break before the first playoff to tune up my match play technique. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Bordertown Open - A day of good golfing
8th September 2010 It is a very fine line between an enjoyable game of golf in winter weather and an experience in discomfort and misery. The round on Sunday 5th of September at Bordertown was in the former category, a few passing showers, a little bit of trudging through mud and the wind was for the most part enough to be a challenge and not a battle in setting up and playing shots. It is days like that on the course when the conditions add to the experience of playing, making you dig into the lessons and experiences stored away to play the best round possible.
Having now seen the Golf Link rankings after a quick glance through on Sunday of the finished table of results I came in 10th place not 6th as I first thought. Even so, not a disgraceful effort with a front 9 -45 and a back 9 -49 to get a 94/nett 74 playing on a course for the first time. I swear that no performance enhancing substances were taken in the amazing putting performance on the front 9 dear readers, a total of 10! For those who have been regular readers of my writings you will be aware that putting is not a strong part of my game. Yes the practise of late has been increased on the green and the change of putter has also been a gradual process to improve this part of my game and it delivered on Sunday. It was the one putts from 5 metres and in, that dropped into the hole. A definite improvement in setting up for putts and developing the reading of greens skill that made this happen. Not to forget the pitching which was getting the ball in close enough to the hole. All of these were practised with diligence over the past two weeks and it was good to have a glimpse of what is possible in my game.
Once again there was a particular error that cost me on the putting green, playing a putt which is hit too hard and leaves a long putt back to the hole, twice this resulted in three putts. Also one green I read a break and then refused to accept that I was correct and played for the opposite break and was way off target! Good grief is there a suicide bomber attitude in parts of my game which just self destructs for the sake of it. I watched the putt go all the way down the wrong line and knew that was because of my refusal to play the right line the read showed. All I can say is that it was because being able to read a green is still a new facet of my game and in the pressure of a game my composure collapsed. No major problem it was a delight to have putted as well as I did and now be able to build upon the improvement.
I also note that hitting the greens in regulation did not happen but enough shots were close enough that with the pitching made up and downs easy. Unfortunately my driving was off target enough to be into the bushes often and too many second shots were played to get back onto the fairway and not at the green. It became a round of bogey golf and that is representative of my ability with glimpses of what can be possible in a bit more time. Never stopped trying to lift my game and get a run of pars but could not get that to happen. Played many provisional balls off the tee just in case I could not find the first ball and seeing those shots fly straight down the fairway was irritating. Even though I was finding the first ball played, the problem persisted and it is obviously a problem in set up on the tee, with most first drives a slice, fading to the right from an outside - in swing plane. Together with 2-3 Hybrid shots that were pulled to the left and off the fairway, my round had a selection of errors that were not catastrophic but all made it harder playing to handicap.
For the past couple of days my thoughts were considering that perhaps my ability has peaked and this is as good as I can get. If so that is reality and can be lived with. On the other hand in reflecting upon the results of past weeks with scores from 87 to 94 off the stick there is still a little more room to improve consistency at least. Golf is never a stagnant, in my own experience just when it begins to level out and appear to have gone as far in any direction of performance there is another peak or trough in a round. That is one of the factors which make golf such an addictive activity. At the minute I have to consider the most prudent course in developing my game, working on the driver inconsistency and maintaining the current pitching and putting development is the first choice. Also the time is drawing near to make a specific effort to correct this pulling of shots with the hybrid and long irons. As much as this is affecting my game it is not worthwhile risking establishing the consistency and ability of the first choices in favour of correcting this.
The coming weekend is the 2nd round of qualifying for Club Championships and the soaking the course has received in the past week will need to keep draining away and not be repeated for the whole course to be playable. Had a hit on 5 of the more water soaked holes Tuesday afternoon and they were all coming along well after a couple of days drying out. Rain is forecast in the next two days and it will depend upon the level of this how the weekend round will pan out. I have already got a score in and should qualify anyway but would like to have a crack at a better round to improve my standing. Thankyou for your time and attention. “Hit ‘em straight all”Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff
Having now seen the Golf Link rankings after a quick glance through on Sunday of the finished table of results I came in 10th place not 6th as I first thought. Even so, not a disgraceful effort with a front 9 -45 and a back 9 -49 to get a 94/nett 74 playing on a course for the first time. I swear that no performance enhancing substances were taken in the amazing putting performance on the front 9 dear readers, a total of 10! For those who have been regular readers of my writings you will be aware that putting is not a strong part of my game. Yes the practise of late has been increased on the green and the change of putter has also been a gradual process to improve this part of my game and it delivered on Sunday. It was the one putts from 5 metres and in, that dropped into the hole. A definite improvement in setting up for putts and developing the reading of greens skill that made this happen. Not to forget the pitching which was getting the ball in close enough to the hole. All of these were practised with diligence over the past two weeks and it was good to have a glimpse of what is possible in my game.
Once again there was a particular error that cost me on the putting green, playing a putt which is hit too hard and leaves a long putt back to the hole, twice this resulted in three putts. Also one green I read a break and then refused to accept that I was correct and played for the opposite break and was way off target! Good grief is there a suicide bomber attitude in parts of my game which just self destructs for the sake of it. I watched the putt go all the way down the wrong line and knew that was because of my refusal to play the right line the read showed. All I can say is that it was because being able to read a green is still a new facet of my game and in the pressure of a game my composure collapsed. No major problem it was a delight to have putted as well as I did and now be able to build upon the improvement.
I also note that hitting the greens in regulation did not happen but enough shots were close enough that with the pitching made up and downs easy. Unfortunately my driving was off target enough to be into the bushes often and too many second shots were played to get back onto the fairway and not at the green. It became a round of bogey golf and that is representative of my ability with glimpses of what can be possible in a bit more time. Never stopped trying to lift my game and get a run of pars but could not get that to happen. Played many provisional balls off the tee just in case I could not find the first ball and seeing those shots fly straight down the fairway was irritating. Even though I was finding the first ball played, the problem persisted and it is obviously a problem in set up on the tee, with most first drives a slice, fading to the right from an outside - in swing plane. Together with 2-3 Hybrid shots that were pulled to the left and off the fairway, my round had a selection of errors that were not catastrophic but all made it harder playing to handicap.
For the past couple of days my thoughts were considering that perhaps my ability has peaked and this is as good as I can get. If so that is reality and can be lived with. On the other hand in reflecting upon the results of past weeks with scores from 87 to 94 off the stick there is still a little more room to improve consistency at least. Golf is never a stagnant, in my own experience just when it begins to level out and appear to have gone as far in any direction of performance there is another peak or trough in a round. That is one of the factors which make golf such an addictive activity. At the minute I have to consider the most prudent course in developing my game, working on the driver inconsistency and maintaining the current pitching and putting development is the first choice. Also the time is drawing near to make a specific effort to correct this pulling of shots with the hybrid and long irons. As much as this is affecting my game it is not worthwhile risking establishing the consistency and ability of the first choices in favour of correcting this.
The coming weekend is the 2nd round of qualifying for Club Championships and the soaking the course has received in the past week will need to keep draining away and not be repeated for the whole course to be playable. Had a hit on 5 of the more water soaked holes Tuesday afternoon and they were all coming along well after a couple of days drying out. Rain is forecast in the next two days and it will depend upon the level of this how the weekend round will pan out. I have already got a score in and should qualify anyway but would like to have a crack at a better round to improve my standing. Thankyou for your time and attention. “Hit ‘em straight all”Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff
Thursday, September 02, 2010
GOLF - Almost but not quite a win...
1st September 2010 Bugger! Gave it my best on Sunday and fell 5 Stableford points short of winning the John Leake Trophy. Finished the round with 34 points and gross 93 off the stick, rubbing a bit of salt into the wound was going out to a 20 handicap again. Mind you not unduly concerned about the round apart from three duffed pitch shots and 3-4 putts that just missed. Played one shot that cost me a penalty and that was the result of hitting the ball, my aim was a little wide to the left and into the bushes went the ball. Still not quite used to my improved distance and hitting accuracy which is still a problem for me to adapt too. The wildly varying conditions of late have not been much assistance in getting comfortable either. From stormy winds to calm warm spring sunshine together with my own moderate ability the transition into the ‘teens’ is not easy for me.
The putts that just missed were still good just not perfect and that is still an improvement for me.The Mallet/2 ball style putter has helped my game on the green, considering that it took me 2 months at least before feeling capable to use it in competition since purchase is a satisfying addition. The tendency is to still leave a few putts within 5 cm of the hole either alongside or short on the longer putts 5metres plus. Inside that distance though the accuracy is very good. Not exactly certain why I leave a bigger number of putts short with this particular club. The technique is sound and reading the greens is also another skill that has been concentrated upon in practise of late as well. At best I have narrowed down the fault to a tendency to take too large a back swing with the putter and not strike through the ball correctly on some putts. Instead pulling the forward stroke up too soon and losing distance to the hole with the shot. This in itself is not a problem inside 5 metres but totally disastrous up to and outside that distance. One putt is always better than two and it is no surprise that practise is the only cure.
The pitching whilst again improved still needs to go from the practise area to the game. landing and stopping the ball inside that 1-2 metre area around the hole more often. In this area of practise of late my technique has been given a lot of attention. Previously my pitch was a one technique shot with no variation to adjust for different greens and pin placements apart from flat greens and straight ahead shots. Recent practise has been on opening the blade of the Wedge and imparting fade side spin on the ball which has returned higher ball flight and the ball flopping down and not running on far. I have also began to use the 7 iron around the green on the straight flat surface shots to good effect, chip and running the ball up to and into the hole.
Off the tee with the driver has again been causing some problems. I believed that the period of using the hybrid had sorted the issue of trying to hit the ball too hard and causing the fade/sliced tee shots. It had a beneficial effect but was only part of the solution, the other fault was my grip. Yes that same old horse trotted out again but it is crucial to playing accurate shots. Fortunately I have one of those Grip Tools which does a sensational job correcting grip faults. Slipped the sleeve over the grip and hit 20 balls a day for driver practise and soon began to get the consistency back. This has not ended the problem though, it is an ongoing process to maintain and establish the components of my game to a consistent level. At the minute it is very difficult, balanced on that edge of the handicap of “teens” or twenties.
Dear readers this is not something that I am worried about, all that can be done is to continue plugging away practising the fundamental techniques as in the past. So far in the past year and a half this has worked, changing something that is proven to work so well over time is just foolish. This week has been a little restricted the course has been very wet and muddy played a couple of 9 hole rounds and apart from the driver practise and some long irons so far that has been all I have done. Some pitching and putting practise will be done before the end of the week, this will have me tuned up enough to play in the Bordertown Open on Sunday. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” , Geoff
The putts that just missed were still good just not perfect and that is still an improvement for me.The Mallet/2 ball style putter has helped my game on the green, considering that it took me 2 months at least before feeling capable to use it in competition since purchase is a satisfying addition. The tendency is to still leave a few putts within 5 cm of the hole either alongside or short on the longer putts 5metres plus. Inside that distance though the accuracy is very good. Not exactly certain why I leave a bigger number of putts short with this particular club. The technique is sound and reading the greens is also another skill that has been concentrated upon in practise of late as well. At best I have narrowed down the fault to a tendency to take too large a back swing with the putter and not strike through the ball correctly on some putts. Instead pulling the forward stroke up too soon and losing distance to the hole with the shot. This in itself is not a problem inside 5 metres but totally disastrous up to and outside that distance. One putt is always better than two and it is no surprise that practise is the only cure.
The pitching whilst again improved still needs to go from the practise area to the game. landing and stopping the ball inside that 1-2 metre area around the hole more often. In this area of practise of late my technique has been given a lot of attention. Previously my pitch was a one technique shot with no variation to adjust for different greens and pin placements apart from flat greens and straight ahead shots. Recent practise has been on opening the blade of the Wedge and imparting fade side spin on the ball which has returned higher ball flight and the ball flopping down and not running on far. I have also began to use the 7 iron around the green on the straight flat surface shots to good effect, chip and running the ball up to and into the hole.
Off the tee with the driver has again been causing some problems. I believed that the period of using the hybrid had sorted the issue of trying to hit the ball too hard and causing the fade/sliced tee shots. It had a beneficial effect but was only part of the solution, the other fault was my grip. Yes that same old horse trotted out again but it is crucial to playing accurate shots. Fortunately I have one of those Grip Tools which does a sensational job correcting grip faults. Slipped the sleeve over the grip and hit 20 balls a day for driver practise and soon began to get the consistency back. This has not ended the problem though, it is an ongoing process to maintain and establish the components of my game to a consistent level. At the minute it is very difficult, balanced on that edge of the handicap of “teens” or twenties.
Dear readers this is not something that I am worried about, all that can be done is to continue plugging away practising the fundamental techniques as in the past. So far in the past year and a half this has worked, changing something that is proven to work so well over time is just foolish. This week has been a little restricted the course has been very wet and muddy played a couple of 9 hole rounds and apart from the driver practise and some long irons so far that has been all I have done. Some pitching and putting practise will be done before the end of the week, this will have me tuned up enough to play in the Bordertown Open on Sunday. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” , Geoff
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